Steve Fallon - Paris: city guide

Steve, who has worked on every edition of Paris and France except the first, visited the City of Light for the first time at age 16 with his half-French best friend, where they spent a week drinking vin ordinaire from plastic bottles, keeping several paces ahead of irate caf waiters demanding to be paid, and learning French swear words that shocked even them. Despite this inexcusable behaviour, the PAF (border police) let him back in five years later to complete a degree in French at the Sorbonne. Now based in East London, Steve will be just one Underground stop away from Paris when Eurostar trains begin departing from Stratford in 2010. Cest si bon Steve was the coordinating author and wrote the Introducing Paris, Getting Started, Background, Sleeping, Gay & Lesbian Paris and Directory chapters. He also cowrote the Neighbourhoods, Shopping, Eating, Drinking and Nightlife & the Arts chapters.

For Nicola, a British journalist living and working in France for the past 12 years (home is a hillside house with Lake Geneva view in Haute Savoie), it is an easy flit to Paris where she has spent endless amounts of time eating her way around and revelling in the citys extraordinary art and architecture. When shes not working for Lonely Planet, she can be found in the Alps skiing or hiking, strolling around Florence or having fun with family in Britain and Germany. Nicola has worked on numerous other Lonely Planet titles including France, Provence & the Cte dAzur and The Loire. Nicola wrote the Sports & Activities, Excursions and Transport chapters. She also cowrote the Neighbourhoods, Shopping, Eating, Drinking and Nightlife & the Arts chapters.

In the last 12 years, Will has worked on assignment in over 50 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific region as well as Antarctica. He has produced a body of award-winning work that includes evocative images of travel, portraits and sport. He sees photography as a privilege, a rare opportunity to become intimately involved in peoples lives. Will is based in Melbourne, Australia, with his wife and two children. His website is www.willsalter.com.

Paris is a dream destination for countless reasons, but among the most obvious is that it requires so very little advance planning. Tourist literature abounds, maps are excellent and readily available, and the staff at tourist offices are usually helpful and efficient. Paris is so well developed and organised that you dont have to plan much of anything before your trip.

But this is fine only if your budget is unlimited, you dont have an interest in any particular period of architecture or type of music, and youll eat or drink anything put down in front of you. This is Paris, one of the most visited cities of the world, and everyone wants a piece of the action. First and foremost, book your accommodation well ahead. And if you have specific interests live big-name jazz, blockbuster art exhibitions, top-end restaurants youll certainly want to make sure that the things you expect to see and do will be available or open to you when you arrive. The key here is advance planning ().

As the old song says, Paris is lovely in springtime though winterlike relapses and heavy rains are not uncommon in the otherwise beautiful month of April. The best months are probably May and June but early, before the hordes of tourists descend. Autumn is also pleasant some people say the best months of the year to visit are September and October but of course the days are getting shorter and in October hotels are booked solid by businesspeople attending conferences and trade shows. In winter Paris has all sorts of cultural events going on, while in summer the weather is warm sometimes sizzling. In any case, in August Parisians flee for the beaches to the west and south, and many restaurateurs and caf owners lock up and leave town too. Its true that you will find more places open in August than even a decade ago, but it still can feel like a ghost town in certain districts. For more information on Paris climate, .

To ensure that your trip does (or perhaps does not) coincide with a public holiday, . For a list of festivals and other events to plan around, see below.

Innumerable festivals, cultural and sporting events and trade shows take place in Paris throughout the year; weekly details appear in Pariscope and LOfficiel des Spectacles ). The following abbreviated list gives you a taste of what to expect throughout the year.

www.parisparade.com

The New Year Music Festival, relatively subdued after the previous nights shenanigans at Trocadro.

www.monuments-nationaux.fr

On the Sunday closest to 21 January, royalists and right-wingers attend a mass at the Chapelle Expiatoire (

www.pretparis.com

Prt--Porter, the ready-to-wear fashion salon that is held twice a year in late January and again in September, is a must for fashion buffs and is held at the Parc des Expositions at Porte de Versailles in the 15e arrondissement (metro Porte de Versailles), southwest of the city centre.

www.paris.fr

Dragon parades and other festivities are held in late January or early February in two Chinatowns: the smaller, more authentic one in the 3e, taking in rue du Temple, rue au Maire and rue de Turbigo (metro Temple or Arts et Mtiers); and the larger, flashier one in the 13e in between porte de Choisy, porte dIvry and blvd Massna (metro Porte de Choisy, Port dIvry or Tolbiac).

www.salon-agriculture.com

A 10-day international agricultural fair with produce and animals turned into dishes from all over France, held at the Parc des Expositions at Porte de Versailles in the 15e (metro Porte de Versailles) from late February to early March.